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Ordered Lee brand Value Turret Press Kit

5K views 35 replies 13 participants last post by  RACHGIER 
#1 ·
So I ordered a Lee brand Value Turret Press kit from FS Reloading. It's on backorder, of course. Ordered the kit and a spare square ratchet. From amazon, a second turret, the primer system, the auto disk riser, and the long charging die.

I don't know when the press will come back in stock, but it'll ship when it ships.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
 
#3 · (Edited)
Congrats on your purchase, I hope you get your new press soon. I bought my first new to me press in forty years about a month ago the Lee Classic Turret press and have been enjoying using it non-stop since, I've probably loaded around 1K rds. on it so far with no real issues but having to tweak a few things to make it preform better.

Instead of using the Lee powder dispensers, I'm having a friend who fabricates metal to make me a stand to sit over the back of my press to hold my existing RCBS Little Dandy and RCBS powder measurer and just drop powder directly using the Hornady powder drop die and funnel pictured.

Some good videos on tweaks, maintenance etc. https://www.youtube.com/user/TreeTopFlier/search?query=Lee turret press

 
#6 ·
I bought my newest press back in April, Lee Classic Cast Turret press. I haven't had any problems with the press. But the other day I was loading some 357 rounds with IMR 4227 and I found that it doesn't meter well in the Auto Drum powder measure. So I'm gonna have to pull them down. But I did get some more 2400 for my 357 cases.
 
#10 ·
The problem was it was set within 1 grain of max and a few of them were over max grain weight. So I marked them all for pull down. I was using my digital scale, so I'll do some test rounds with my beam scale

I do use the tapping method on my perfect powder measure. I haven't had this problem with most powders.
 
#11 ·
Got a notification from FS Reloading. My turret press is in and ready to ship. They're using UPS so I have a tracking number but it has apparently not left their facility yet.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
 
#13 ·
I looked and thought, and looked and thought some more.
And I said nope, don’t need a turret, I’ll just get the Auto Drum powder measure and the charging dies, and do it on the presses I have. I don’t mind all the back and forth, if I can speed up powder drops it will do for now.
But at some point, I may buy the turret too.
 
#14 ·
I thought, for a long time, that I didn't need a turret press. I was doing pretty good with my single stage press too. But when the stimulus came I decided to spoil myself, and now I'm glad I did. I get the job done a lot more quickly and it is more fun, and I have the single stage and it's components for backup.
 
#15 ·
After owning a 3-hole progressive press, I quickly realized that more stations are better. I had a number of pieces of Lee equipment when I started too. The scale was a nightmare for me, and the Perfect powder measure leaked like a sieve with fine powder. I switched to the Auto-Disc and started getting squibs. Then I got the Auto Drum. It was just as temperamental as the others. I got rid of all them. The 3-hole was traded straight across for a Classic Turret. It would be nice if the turrets were slightly larger.

I've got a Lyman T-Mag II 6-hole manual turret and also a Redding T-25 6-hole manual turret. Turret presses are an economical way of reloading without having to batch process or switch out dies.

I'll always have my Rock Chucker and Co-Ax presses for single stage work. I use the RCBS mostly for depriming all cases, and resizing pistol or rimmed rifle brass.

There is an RCBS powder stand on the bench with a Redding powder measure on it. All of my other powder measures are RCBS Uniflows. Some of them are set up with case activated linkages.
 
#16 ·
Don't know that I would go so far as say that the Lee Classic Cast Turret is my favorite press, but it's the press I would probably keep if I could only have one. It's just so versatile.

I have had or still have the Lyman Spar-T 6 hole turret, the Lee 3 hole manual advance, and the old style Lee 4 hole auto advance. Liked them all.

I don't particularly like the new style Lee value turret. But it's for personal reasons. The press itself is fine. The base was designed to be a progressive press. It works great in that capacity. But the ram is not centered in the base of the press, it's offset to the right. That makes the press crowded, especially if you add the priming tool. Plus, it entices you to remove your hand from the operating handle. I like to keep my right hand on the handle and use my left hand for all other processes. The way the press is set up, it interrupts my process. The primers are loaded to the right of the ram, they are loaded to the left of the ram on the progressive version. Again, personal preferences.

FWIW, with the Lee Breech Lock Pro (progressive press built on the same base) I remove my hand from the handle as well - to drop the case onto the chute, then it stays on the handle where it belongs. All the other processes I can do with my left hand. If I were to install the case feeder it would eliminate removing the hand, but I like dropping the cases, placing the primers, and seating the bullets by hand.

Looking forward to the review from @lklawson
 
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#18 ·
I have the Lee Classic Cast value press kit. I use the Auto Drum powder measure. I had a bit of trouble with it with IMR 4227. But other than that I like it, as for scales I was using my Frankford Arsenal electronic, but it wasn't zeroing well so I switched to the Lee beam scale, and it's working well.
 
#19 ·
Email alert says that my press was delivered today. I probably won't be able to even look at it for a few days. :p

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
 
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#20 ·
The box is currently sitting, unopened, in my living room. Mocking me. Laughingly implying that I fill my time too much. Silently judging me from beneath it's plastic shipping straps and cardboard box...

After I teach Blades & Brawling tonight then Judo tomorrow, I'll have Thursday to teach it not to mock me!

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
 
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#21 ·
Mine, too, is still sitting in the box, mocking me. I needed to clean my work area in the basement which has become a disaster area in the past 10 years. Promised SWMBO that the "reorganization" of the area would happen first.

Until then I am still hunting for more small pistol primers.
 
#24 ·
So amid doing chores and running around on my "day off" <cough>, I opened up the package and just kinda looked it over. I'm going to have to learn the AutoDrum but it doesn't look too bad. I also have some extra stuff now that I plan on passing on to another new hand-loader in the future. ...in particular the Lee Safety Powder Scale and the Lee Case Conditioning Kit.

I've got a buddy out in PA who's been making noises about getting into handloading, either with the Lee whammer bammer or the Lee hand press.

I'm looking forward to mounting it.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk
 
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